Fake Outs
For the uninitiated, it can be difficult to understand why people love a cappella. Heck, even for those of us who do actively enjoy it, it can be difficult to put into words why we enjoy this art form so. While we’ll never have a truly comprehensive list of everything cool about a cappella, 200 Reasons to Love A Cappella is our best attempt at assembling a list of what makes it great.
Reason #109: Fake Outs
Plenty of folks who are uninitiated in contemporary a cappella dismiss the form because of preconceptions based in a cappella choirs and the barbershop tradition.
I have a particular soft spot for groups riff off this expectation, slowing the down the tempo or lending a classical flavor to the opening chords of a song before exploding into a rendition far more faithful to the original pop song. Such interpretations offer audiences an entertaining surprise, in addition to demonstrating a group’s range and depth of talent via their ability to achieve both the classical sound and a more contemporary flavor. The approach takes even the most run-of-the-mill song selection and makes it fundamentally more interesting for both the audience and the singers performing it.
I love it!